


Heroes in a half shell

by robotsandmonsters



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Other, Turtle/Human romances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:58:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4027711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robotsandmonsters/pseuds/robotsandmonsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This follows the plot to the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtle 2014 movie. It includes an added character, Gemma Johnson, a young apprentice training under April O'Neil. Both encounter the turtles and embark on a journey involving car chases, gunwounds and finding love with a certain pair of turtles.</p><p>I suck at summaries as this is my first fic so if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it.<br/>Thank you!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

April and Vern made their way to the centre of New York to do a news segment on something to do with losing weight. April never felt the need for these sorts of stories. Nobody would listen if someone as in shape as herself was the one giving the news. She believed someone larger or more experienced should have been giving this news piece, which people may actually believe and listen to.

“O’Neil?” she looked over at Vern.  
“Yeah?”  
“We gotta go pick up that apprentice before doing the broadcast.” April nodded. She knew very little about the new apprentice except that, as a news reporter, she had to train the apprentice for one year. She sighed to herself. She would have rather spent her time trying to fulfill her job as an investigative reporter. It looked like that wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Vern took a turning and stopped outside the local library and beeped the horn. A few seconds later a young girl ran out carrying a few textbooks and a brown backpack. She was about 18 years old with blonde hair almost halfway down her back, and she was trying to keep glasses from falling off of her face as she ran. She was wearing a grey shirt with a pair of jeans and blue converse. 

April got out of the car and opened the back of the van for the girl to put her stuff in. The girl paused for a few seconds and then dropped her textbooks and bag into the back and gave April a smile, sticking out her hand.  
“Hi! I’m Gemma Johnson!” she said, still smiling. April gave her a returning smile and shook her hand.  
“April O’Neil.”  
“Oh, I know! I watch Channel Six all the time. I hope to be like you one day. It’s why I’m doing this apprenticeship,” Gemma said. April felt flattered at the comment. Not a lot of young girls aspired to be a news reporter, especially one like April. She showed Gemma to the van and sat beside her on the way for the broadcast.  
So begins her first day apprenticing with Gemma Johnson.

\------------------------------------------

“Well, that was...different.” said Gemma. That was one way of saying it. April had just done a story on trampolining and fat birds. Both the girls felt that the first day training as a broadcaster could have been better. They both approached the van as Vern was putting the equipment away.  
“Four years of journalism school so that I could do that. Four years of my life, Vern. It’s embarrassing.” April said as she slipped on her jacket. Gemma walked to the van to take some notes as April and Vern began to talk to each other about coffee or froth or something. She sighed, wishing something interesting would happen in the city. 

Even though it was New York, and there was a lot of crime, there was nothing different to interest the people of New York. Apart from the Foot Clan. Gemma had always wanted to cover a story on the Foot Clan, pictured herself on TV presenting a story like that. She didn’t really want to be an investigative journalist like April O’Neil, but she desperately wanted to know everything about the Foot Clan. But, she was never really good at research, and was better at presenting. 

She watched as April pulled a bike from the back of the van.  
“Where are you going?” she asked.  
“I’m catching up on an interview I was doing earlier. It’s related to a Foot Clan story down by the docks.” April said. This captured Gemma’s interest.   
“Mind if I come with you? I could take notes while you do the interview?” asked Gemma. She may not like research but she wanted to know everything about the Foot Clan, and wanted to be involved in a useful story to do with them. April looked at her, slightly skeptical at taking an apprentice with her. 

“I’m biking. I can’t get you across town.” She replied. Gemma shrugged.  
“I rode my bike to the library. I would have driven but my dad’s using my car. We could go to the library and pick up my bike then head over.” Gemma said. She really hoped April would say yes. And she would have rather been in the company of April to pick up her bike than with Vern. He came across as vain and slightly ignorant. April eventually smiled at Gemma and tilted her head, indicating a yes. She hopped on her bike and leant forward slightly, allowing Gemma to climb on the back of the bike. It was slightly uncomfortable. She could see why April had refused to take her across the city to the docks by bike.

\------------------------------------------

Gemma leant back against the wall. April had just finished speaking with her interviewee. Only problem is that he had refused to answer any more questions and they now had to go to the docks in order to get more stuff for the story.   
“When do you have to be home by, Gemma?” asked April. Gemma looked at her watch.  
“My dad isn’t home until 11:00, so I probably need to be back for 10:30?” Gemma replied. April nodded. Plenty of time, they still had a few hours to get enough information. They both got on their bikes and headed for the docks. 

When they arrived at the docks they heard loud noises, louder than workers moving cargo. When they looked through the fence they saw that there were members of the Foot Clan at the docks, collecting things from shipping containers. Gemma stayed to the shadows, still able to see everything going on. She saw April head to a gap and try to take a photo of what was going on, but had no luck in the low lighting. Gemma saw her climbing over the fence and she followed. She did not quite feel safe in an abandoned road on the edge of New York at night. 

She climbed over the soaking wet fence and landed on her feet next to April, wiping away the rain water from her hands. They quietly neared the Foot Clan, being sure not to be caught. Gemma desperately hoped April’s phone was not set on flash photography.  
Suddenly, they heard gunshots. They heard fighting. Then, a shipping container was thrown against the Foot Clan, causing them to quickly retreat. April and Gemma looked around, searching for whom ever was behind the attack. Then Gemma hit April’s arm to get her attention and pointed towards one of the shipping containers.

On top of it were two figures, too dim for the girls to see properly but they both made out dark silhouettes. The silhouettes were tall, over 6 feet tall, and huge, and one appeared to be carrying two large swords of some kind, while the other flipped smaller, knife-like ones. Just as April reached to take a photo the figures were suddenly gone. Gemma felt shivers run up her spine. This night was just getting weird. Yet it was also getting interesting. Well, it was more interesting than April jumping on a small trampoline trying to be a bird for a news broadcast.


	2. Chapter 2

April had asked Gemma not to say a word about the night before, obviously worried that the teenager would get into trouble for being with April doing a story so late. The next day, Gemma couldn’t help but think of the two figures. They had fought against the Foot Clan. They were strong; they had moved giant shipping containers. She desperately needed to know who they were.  
Gemma was sat in the library on the computer, searching up any incidents similar to the one the night before. There was nothing. Either the two vigilantes were really good at stopping Foot Clan activity that they had gone unnoticed, or it was their first time last night. Either way, Gemma wanted to know who they were. Not just for a story, but to thank them for standing up against the Foot Clan when no-one else will.  
Gemma felt her phone ring and saw it was Vern Fenwick. She sighed and answered.

“Hey, Gemma Johnson?” he said.   
“Yep.”  
“Hey, do you think you could join myself and O’Neil tonight? We’re filming for the city gathering to celebrate some story with the city police and Eric Sacks. Think you could come along? It’d be better footage, we’d be shooting interviews with important city councilmen?” he asked. She shut down her computer and went to pack up her notes.  
“Sure, what time? You can pick me up from the library again?” she suggested.  
“Great! How does 6:00 sound?” he asked. She checked her watch. It was 3:00. She let out a quiet huff at having to wait for three hours.   
“Sounds perfect. I’ll wait outside the library for you guys.”  
“Okay, catch you later, Johnson.”  
“Bye.” She put her phone in her jacket pocket. 

After grabbing a bite to eat and quickly going home to change into a black jumpsuit (she didn’t exactly own formal clothes or dresses) and some black boots with a small black jacket thrown over the outfit, Gemma made her way back to the library. She had ten minutes and stuck in her headphones. She couldn’t help but think of the two vigilantes all day, and she was sure April was having a similar sort of day. 

Soon enough, she saw the Channel 6 van pull up and put her phone and headphones in the pocket of her jacket.  
“Hey April.” She said, jumping in. April smiled at her, but Gemma could tell that behind all the make-up April was wearing there were dark circles underneath her eyes. She figured April had been up all night, trying to research all she could about the Foot Clan activity or the vigilantes. They made their way across town.

\------------------------------------------

“Eric Sacks was so inspiring. I know this is a story that matters.” April had said on the way back. Gemma had heard her speaking with Eric Sacks, the man in charge of a scientific industry, and she overheard their conversation by accident, finding out that April’s father used to work with Sacks and died during an fire accident. It just made Gemma think of her own father, and how grateful she was to have him in her life.

Suddenly, huge amounts of people started to run away past the van. Gemma’s head shot up and she scurried out of the van, hearing Vern and April calling after her. She ran the opposite way to the people, trying to find what, or who, they were running away from. She felt April try to grab her hand and Gemma turned, grabbing April’s phone from her pocket and holding it in front of her face.  
“Don’t you want a story?” she asked. April hesitated, and then grabbed her phone and both made their way to where the people were running from. Soon, they were at the entrance to the subway.

Gemma and April were grabbed by a member of the Foot Clan and shoved to the ground in the subway alongside at least 40 other people. Gemma started to panic and worry about what was going to happen.  
“We know you’re out there!” yelled a female voice. Gemma looked up and saw a woman standing with the Foot Clan. She knew who was out there? Did she mean the vigilantes?   
“If you don’t surrender, we start executing hostages!” she shouted into the air. Gemma felt her breathing speed up and tried to calm herself down. 

Suddenly, she heard a camera shutter. She turned and saw April was trying to capture all that was happening. She turned and saw the woman pulled out a gun and aimed it at April.  
“You! Stand up.” She said, nearing April and Gemma. However, before she was within 10 feet of them, a train neared them with loud voices approaching from that direction, and all the lights went off. Suddenly, loud footsteps were thundering throughout the station and Gemma saw large figures fighting the Foot Clan. The vigilantes. Only this time there were more, of them. She couldn’t tell how many but there was definitely more than two this time. Before April or Gemma could fully comprehend what was happening everything was over and the vigilantes climbed in construction pipes leading out of the subway. Both the girls hurriedly made their way out to find them.

They found the other end of construction lead to a tall building nearby and began to climb up the fire exit. When they were near the top they began to hear voices. They could hear three, maybe four, male voices. Gemma hit April’s arm and whispered to her,  
“What do we do? What if they’re dangerous?”  
“I just need a photo.” April said, climbing the last ladder with Gemma below her. Suddenly Gemma had a thought. What if April’s phone is on flash photography? Oh no.  
Before she could tell April anything or stop her, the photo had been taken. The men knew they were there. They had all stopped talking, and both the girls knew that the men knew of their presence. When April and Gemma tried desperately to get back down, a chain was thrown around April and she was yanked on top of the roof. Gemma climbed back up, trying to find April, only to also be pulled forward by the chain also.


	3. Chapter 3

A large figure appeared in front of Gemma and April.

“Gimme the camera.” He insisted in a deep and husky voice.  
“Oohh, look, he’s doing his Batman voice.” Another voice said, teasingly. Gemma would have laughed if she hadn’t of looked up.  
“She’s so hot, I can feel my shell tightening.” Gemma sighed internally. Obviously this...person...was talking about April. People rarely gave Gemma second looks. Wait, did that guy say he could feel his shell tightening?  
“We can hear you!” shouted the figure in front of them, shouting at the previous speaker. Suddenly, he pulled out a pair of weapons and held them at his sides. They were the same ones as the previous night at the docks. He was one of the vigilantes from last night. “If you don’t give me the camera,” he started as April carried Gemma up, “I’m gonna...”

“Enough!” a voice shouted from above them. Suddenly, another figure landed on the edge of the building, carrying two large swords. He must have been the other vigilante from the night before. “Back off, Raph!” he said to the one behind them. ‘Raph’ walked away from them, brushing against April and causing her to shudder.  
“I only saw Batman once,” said Raph.  
“Ladies, hello! I apologise.” Said the other vigilante. He jumped down and was in full view of both the girls. ‘What the hell is he?’ they both thought. “My colleague here forgot to say please. So, would you please hand over the camera?” he said, stepping towards them both. Suddenly, another figure jumped behind them, causing both girls to jump startlingly. 

“Whoa, whoa, hey chill. See it’s just a mask.” He said, pointing at his face. “See? Don’t freak out.” He pulled off the bandana covering his face, and revealed a large, green face behind it. “Right?” he said, smiling at them both. He looked almost alien. April went numb and fainted in Gemma’s arms.  
“Oh, I think that went well.”

\------------------------------------------

As the four figures stood over April trying to stabilise her, as well as wipe the photo from her phone, one of them began to try and speak to Gemma. He was the one who landed on the building, and wore a blue bandana. She noticed each of them wore different coloured bandanas; blue, red, orange and purple. Although the one in purple was quite unnoticeable as he wore a large pair of glasses over it.   
“You alright?” he asked. She nodded. She couldn’t quite speak. She had no idea what these things were or what she should do. She wanted to run. But something compelled her to stay. ‘It’s probably the unconscious reporter in your arms.’ She thought to herself. Suddenly, April began to stir.

“Ma’am? Ma’am!” asked the one in purple. He had been scanning her to make sure she was alright for a few minutes now. He clicked his finger in front of her face. “Can you hear me? Do you know what city you’re in? Do you know where you are?” April squinted her eyes at the bright light shining in her face.  
“What are you?” she asked, still dazed. Gemma rested her arm underneath April’s head.  
“Well, ladies,” replied the one in blue. “we’re ninjas!”  
“We’re mutants.”  
“Well, technically, we’re turtles.”   
“Oh, and we’re teenagers. But we can still have...adult conversations.” The one in orange finished, wiggling his eyebrows at April. The one in the red bandana growled slightly and shoved the orange one’s shoulder. Gemma rolled her eyes at the attempt of flirting going on. The one in blue met her eyes and showed the same expression, making Gemma smile.

“Do you have names?” she asked.   
“Well, ma’am, I am Leonardo.” Said the one in blue. Leonardo. It suited him. “That’s Raphael,” he carried on, pointing at the one in red. “Donatello,” he pointed at the one in purple. “And that little one is Michelangelo.” He finished, pointing at the one in orange.   
April had recoiled slightly at these names, repeating them to herself quietly. She had heard those names before. She just knew it. She made a point to memorise each name.  
“So, you guys are ninja mutant turtle teenagers?” she asked.   
“Well, when you put it like that it sounds ridiculous.” Replied Donatello. Gemma wanted to laugh at April, she looked so confused, but then Gemma probably looked the same.

“See, these girls are looking at us like we’re freaks. I bet that’s why you took our picture, wasn’t it? Show your friends?!” Raphael said, becoming agitated. Leonardo sighed.  
“Bruh, that’s a good thing. Maybe they have hot friends!” Michelangelo said. Raphael stepped in front of April, smirking at her with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He was holding her phone in his hand.   
“Looking for this?” he asked.  
“Don’t break it! No, no, no, no please.” April pleaded; trying to reach for her phone as Raphael held it higher, almost teasing her. Leonardo strolled up, rolling his eyes and took the phone from Raphael.  
“How many times do I have to tell you? We don’t break things; we fix ‘em. Donnie already wiped the phone, genius, problem solved.” He said. Raphael looked down, his eyes looking at April for a second before looking back at Leonardo as he pushed him away slightly.   
“And who put you in charge?”  
“You know who did!”  
“Oohh, tension!” Michelangelo intercepted. “It’s been like 30 whole minutes since you guys had this argument!” Gemma and April looked at each other, grabbing each other’s arms to make sure that if things got a bit argumentative they may have to run. 

Then, Donatello came between the two turtles.  
“Leonardo, if we wanna make it home before master we gotta hustle.” April remembered that she was meant to be memorizing the names. She repeated each of them to herself. Leonardo stepped towards the girls, leaning down to their height.   
“Do not say a word about this to anyone. If you do, we will find you. April O’Neil.” He paused and looked at Gemma. She looked down and uttered her name to him. “And Gemma Johnson.” He finished, handing April her phone. April huffed inwardly at the fact that Donatello had wiped her phone. 

Leonardo took a last glance at Gemma before facing the other turtles. “We’re on the move, Raphael.”   
“Yeah, we’ll find you, O’Neil and Johnson!” said Michelangelo, trying to sound as dangerous as Leonardo. ‘Trying’ being the operative word. “I’m sorry, that came across super creepy. We will find you though.” He said, laughing to himself before catching up with the others. They all made their way off of the building, Raphael looking back for a second at April.

April took her phone and managed to get one picture before they disappeared out of sight. She gripped Gemma’s hand a pulled her to the staircase.  
“Hey, April, I just thought of a better name for them.” April looked at her puzzled as Gemma smiled to herself.  
“Teenage mutant ninja turtles!” April rolled her eyes and pulled the teenager down the fire escape.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day had been difficult. Gemma’s mind could not escape the turtles. Well, the day was made more difficult when April called her to tell her that the apprenticeship was being passed to another news broadcaster. It turns out April had tried to convince her boss that the turtles existed and ended up getting herself fired. Gemma had rolled her eyes at this.   
She began to drive down to the TV station as April had asked her to pick her up and take her to Eric Sacks’ estate. She pulled up and collected April, who was carrying all of her work stuff.  
“So,” she began as they drove away, “how on earth was your boss going to be convinced that giant ninja turtles were in New York?” April sighed.

“Well, it turns out that the turtles were being tested on by my father and Eric Sacks. They were injected with some liquid they were experimenting with, and I guess it transformed them. I used to film each of them, as small turtles, no bigger than my finger. They were my childhood pets. I vaguely remember saving them from the fire that killed...from the fire that destroyed the lab.” Gemma stared at her, astounded. She then looked at April, smirking.   
“Heroes in a half shell.” Gemma said, laughing, and soon April began to laugh too.

April came out of the Sacks estate after being in there for about 10 minutes, smiling. Obviously Sacks believed her. Gemma smiled from the car and opened the door for April.  
“Wanna swing by mine tonight?” April asked.  
“Why?”  
“I need to do more research on this story. I don’t exactly wanna do it alone, and you’re the only other person who knows they exist” Gemma nodded and turned on the engine, making her way back to the city.

\------------------------------------------

It was late at night and Gemma rung her dad telling him she was staying at a friend’s for the night. April made some pop tarts and grabbed some chocolate for Gemma. In the early hours of the morning, April’s computer went static. Gemma turned and looked at the screen.  
“Bam, you’ve been hacked!” a voice said. They both recognised it instantly. “By Donatello! Remember me? Turtle? Never mind, come to this building,” a map lead to a building on 12th avenue. “And come alone. Unless you’re with Gemma Johnson, in which case, come with Johnson. Or else, you’ll be punished...and...stuff.” he said, running out of things to say. They looked at each other and grabbed their coats, making their way to 12th avenue.

“Hello?” April called out as they walked onto the roof of the building. Gemma slung her hair in a messy bun due to the hot night. She regretted wearing her coat and jeans and pulled the coat off, hanging it off of her hips slightly and revelling in the cooling sensation. Her shirt stopped at her shoulders, showing off her slightly muscular arms. She always wanted thin arms when she was younger, but realised that muscular arms just suited her body a whole lot more. Plus they looked badass, which she loved.  
“You told us to come here.” April shouted out into the open air. “We didn’t bring anybody else.” 

Suddenly, someone jumped behind them. Gemma knew it would be Michelangelo as he had done the same thing the night before, jumping behind them.  
“Are you April O’Neil and Gemma Johnson?” he asked. They looked at him confused and heard Donatello approaching them.  
“Okay, scanning, scanning. Scan complete. It’s them, guys!” he said, holding a screen in front of him.  
“Of course it’s them, Donnie.” said Leonardo. He came up behind them and put his arm around Gemma’s shoulder and held onto April’s arm. “Hey,” he said in an all-too-friendly manner, “we’d really like to talk to you girls. There’s some place we wanna take you and someone we need you to meet, but first...” He stopped talking and they both felt cloth go over their faces, and knew that Raphael must have snuck up on them. 

Well, wherever they were taking them, they didn’t want the girls to know. This made the girls all the more curious.

April and Gemma felt themselves being lifted off the ground by large arms, not knowing which turtles were carrying them. Suddenly, they were in the air and travelling between buildings. Gemma gasped and gripped tighter to the turtle and heard a slight chuckle. Soon enough, they were falling and sliding around. Gemma guessed they had entered below ground as it was cold as well as having so much room for them to move around so freely in.   
The arms tightened around April and she dug her face against one of the arms and heard a small huff. She guessed instantly that Raphael was the one carrying her. He was the only one who would complain about having to carry her. She still kept her head buried against him.

Soon enough they came to a halt, and April was dropped down, more gently than what she would have thought Raphael would do. Gemma was placed down as well, hands holding her waist as she was lowered. She tried to hold back a smile and walked wherever they were being lead, the hands guiding her.   
“Where are we?” asked April.  
“Umm, I think we’re in the sewers.” Gemma said to her. She heard April take a whiff of air and heard a disgusted noise. Then, the cloth over their faces were lifted off and in front of them both was a giant mutant rat.

“You brought us here, April.” He said, looking between the two girls and set his eyes on April. Gemma guessed it was because she was the age that they would guess she was, and therefore this rat knew which one was which out of the girls.  
“And you must be Gemma.” He said, nodding his head to her. She could only nod back.  
“Splinter?” asked April, stepping forward.  
“How does she know his name?” Donatello asked.  
“Did you tell her his name?” asked Leonardo, looking back at Donatello.  
“Maybe she’s a Jedi.” whispered Michelangelo. Gemma smiled and shook her head at the ridiculous sentence.  
“Come closer.” Said Splinter. “Don’t be afraid.” He looked at her and smiled lightly. “You always did have your father’s eyes.”  
“I don’t understand,” whispered April.  
“Don’t worry. All will be made clear.”  
“This is crazy.”


	5. Chapter 5

Splinter had just sat April down and told her everything that had happened in the lab, on the night that April’s father died. It was quite the story. Gemma crossed her arms over her chest, fascinated by what they were saying.

“Wait a minute, dad,” said Leonardo, leaning down at Splinter’s level. “all these years you’ve told us we were rescued from the fire by a great guardian spirit, a Hogosha.”  
“That’s right,” said Splinter, “and this is the Hogosha.” He indicated to April.   
“What?” she whispered. Gemma raised an eyebrow as the turtles began to bow to April, aside from Raphael who was just staring her down. ‘I think someone has a crush’ Gemma thought. It was obvious. The way he acted whenever Michelangelo made a little jab at flirting with April, and the way he tried too hard to act like he didn’t like her.   
“My girlfriend’s totally the Hogosha.” whispered Michelangelo, earning himself a whack on the arm from Leonardo and to which Raphael gruffly crossed his arms. Gemma chuckled. Yep, this turtle has a crush.

The alarms had gone off. They learnt that Eric Sacks was in fact the enemy, and that he was able to track April’s phone when she gave him her number. They also learnt that he was working for a dark ninjitsu master known as the shredder. Now the alarms were sounding, and Splinter placed his ear next to the wall and looked shocked before warning everyone to stay back. 

However, before April or Gemma could even move there was an explosion that broke down the wall. The blast caused the girls and turtles to fly backwards, and Splinter ran to the end of the room, preparing to fight whoever would come through.   
As members of the Foot Clan came through the wall, some approached the turtles whilst others tried to fend off Splinter. However, he was too fast, and was soon flooring them.   
“Mikey! We gotta get April and Gemma out of here!” the girls heard Leonardo shouting across the room. They heard Mikey approaching them on his skateboard, grabbing both girls by the shoulders and ushering them to a safe place within the lair. April was looking around frantically, and as she heard Raphael yelling her breath caught in her throat. Gemma did the same, looking for Leonardo, whom was currently fighting multiple members of the Foot Clan. She swallowed heavily, wishing she could help. 

Everybody heard heavy footsteps approaching, and suddenly out of the shadows came a man in armour. He was a huge man, as tall as the turtles. The shredder. Splinter armed himself with a nearby katana sword and began to fight the shredder.  
Donatello and Mikey were fighting off many members of the Foot Clan, Raphael was nowhere to be seen and Leonardo was being held to the ground, electrocuted and weak.

Gemma and April looked on at all the commotion before them, wandering what they could do to help. April grabbed a weapon from behind her and left, running towards the shredder.  
“Dammit,” Gemma muttered to herself as she grabbed a knife that was next to her, going to same way as April was. April leapt up and dug the weapon into the shredders back whilst at the same time Gemma pushed the knife in a gap between the armour. The shredder grunted.  
“You stupid little girls!” he yelled, pulling the knife from his body. Splinter reached out his tail and grabbed April, hoisting her across the room to safety. However, he could not reach Gemma fast enough, and she was backhanded by the shredder and flung to the floor. 

Her vision was blurred for a few moments, and she heard Leonardo give out a yell before defeating the ones whom were electrocuting him. She stumbled slightly, holding onto April as she neared her. The shredder continued to fight Splinter.  
“Sensei!” shouted Leonardo, running towards Splinter.  
“No, my son, stay back!” shouted Splinter, lowering a wall of bars, stopping Leonardo from entering the room. Leonardo tried to break through the bars, desperately trying to reach the rat.  
“Sensei!” Mikey shouted, running towards the set of bars. Donatello joined them, trying to break through.  
“Sensei! Dad, dad, what are you doing?!” asked Leonardo, lowering down to look at Splinter through the bars.  
“Hide.” said Splinter.

Gemma and April clung to each other as the shredder threatened the turtles with Splinter’s life, hiding down out of the view of anyone in the room. The shredder then made a final attack on Splinter, causing him to fall unconscious to the floor. The three turtles screamed out, but were held back, being shocked and jolted to the ground, reaching out for their sensei. Gemma gasped and dug her head into April’s shoulder.   
The lair had been blown to pieces, debris falling on Splinter. Gemma walked up to him, holding his head underneath her hand as April went to look above ground, trying to see if she could figure out where they could be going.   
They were taking them to the Sacks estate.

\------------------------------------------

She walked up to Gemma and Splinter and tried to pull the debris off of him whilst Gemma tried to lift him up. They both heard heavy footsteps coming from their left. They looked and saw Raphael wiping off some dust from his arms. He looked up and his face fell as he saw Splinter lying on the ground. He ran towards the three of them, slightly brushing April out of the way as he moved the heavy pieces of rock from Splinter. Gemma moved her arms beneath him and hoisted him up. He was heavy but she could manage. Raphael ran to a medical room, Gemma following and placing him on a table as April grabbed a medical kit. 

There was a tracker implanted within Donatello’s equipment that he carried on him. Gemma took a photo of their location and soon her, April and Raphael began to get ready to head over to the Sacks estate.   
“We need a ride.” April said. Gemma nodded and headed out of the sewer, grabbing a taxi to her home to pick up her car. She thanked all that was high and mighty that her father was not borrowing her car.

\------------------------------------------

April was sat watching over Splinter, waiting for Gemma to get her car. She looked over at Raphael, who was sat across her looking down at his sensei. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, looking at April briefly before turning away.   
“We’ll find them, Raph. And when we do, we’ll find a way to get Splinter better. I promise.” She said, and she leant across and placed her hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly and looked back at her, bringing his hand over hers and looking down. She rubbed her thumb in a circle, reassuring him.  
“Thanks, April.” He said, letting go of her hand when he heard the car approaching on the road. He stepped up and April followed him, both climbing out of the sewers.

“Uh, question.” Said April, “how do you plan on getting Raph in the car?” she asked as Gemma got out. Gemma then opened the boot of the car and pulled the back seats down, making enough room for him to get in. He huffed and climbed in. Gemma got back in and April slipped in the passenger seat, looking back at Raphael to make sure he wasn’t in too tight. They then made their way out of the city and towards the Sacks estate.


	6. Chapter 6

Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo were being held in chains, contained within huge glass boxes. The three of them grunted and tried to get out, but it was no use. The weapons used against them had made them tired and weak, and they were unable to escape the chains.   
Leonardo thought of Splinter and closed his eyes. He had failed. 

When they were coming out of the sewers he had heard a man say to the shredder that Raphael was dead. He didn’t want to believe it. And, on top of that, they had destroyed the lair; with April and Gemma still inside. He grunted. He had fought against the Foot after seeing Gemma backhanded by the shredder. He had tried to protect her. He couldn’t, and now she was most likely dead. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind.   
He had failed.

\------------------------------------------

“Ram the gate.” Raphael shouted from the back of the car as they approached the estate. Gemma sighed heavily. Her dad was going to kill her. She shifted the gear and sped up, ramming the gate and swerving near the building. Raphael got out and attacked any members of the Foot who were coming near the car. The girls got out and Gemma wanted to scream at seeing the dent in her car.   
“Follow me,” Raphael groaned as he ran into the building.   
Raphael entered the building, punching and kicking many of the guards out of the way. Gemma ran into the building, looking at her surroundings. Then she saw them. Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo were chained inside boxes, their blood being slowly drained from them. She felt her breathing quicken and she ran up to the one Leonardo was in, placing both hands on the glass. His eyes were closed, and he looked so oblivious to his surroundings.

“Leo!” she heard Raph shout from behind her. She moved around the room to find a key or code to unlock the box as he tried to punch it, but it was no use.   
“Raphael.” A deep voice rang through the room. “Glad you could join us.” Gemma and April looked to an opening where the shredder was standing. “The fourth cage is for you!” Raphael’s face consorted to anger as he ran to the shredder, but was pushed down onto a floor below the room. The shredder jumped in after him and both began to fight.

“Raphael!” April shouted, running to look below at them both.  
“You!” said the shredder, approaching her.  
“Focus on me!” shouted Raphael, attacking the shredder from behind. April could only watch, gripping her hair not knowing what she could do to help Raphael. Gemma ran up to Donatello’s box, whacking her fist against the glass.  
“Donnie! What do I do?” she heard him mumble slightly. “What?” she pressed her ear against the glass to hear him better.  
“Adrenaline,” he whispered, dazed and quiet, clearly weak from the blood loss. She ran to the screen nearby and saw a button titled ‘adrenaline.’ She frantically pressed it, filling the turtles with adrenaline. They all shook and ripped off their chains, breaking out of the boxes they were being contained in.

In the haze of being pumped with adrenaline, Leonardo had not noticed Gemma or April. He had not noticed that they were still alive.

The shredder had disappeared after badly beating up Raphael, and the four turtles ran outside with the girls behind them. A man ran up to Gemma, a gun in his hand, and he shot at her shoulder. She screamed and covered her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.  
Leonardo turned after hearing a scream and he saw Gemma, alive, and then his expression darkened as he saw that the reason she had screamed was because she had been shot. He ran to the man who shot her, punching him and ripping his gun apart, hitting him with the gun and knocking him out. He ran to Gemma and she looked at him with dreary eyes. Covering the wound was not helping, she was losing too much blood. 

He looked at her face properly and saw that she had a bruise along her cheek with a cut covered in dry blood running down her face. That was where the shredder had backhanded her back at the lair. Leonardo grinded his teeth and picked her up, placing her in a truck nearby. April got in the driver seat and started the engine, urging the turtles to get in the back of the truck.

\------------------------------------------

There had been a car chase between the remaining members of the Foot Clan and the truck. Leonardo had fallen out after being hit by a falling box in the truck, and so he tried to stop the cars behind them. Gemma looked in the rear view mirror, still holding on to her wound and feeling slightly ill, and saw that Donatello and Michelangelo had also gotten out of the truck. She saw that the Foot had used their weapons to shock and electrocute Leonardo and Donatello.   
Raphael jumped out of the truck, attacking the car directly behind them.

Gemma breathed slowly and ripped the bottom of her shirt to tie it around her shoulder. She hissed at the pressure and removed her hand, trying to wipe off the blood. A few minutes later she felt the door next to her open and she was almost ready to kick whomever was there, but she saw Leonardo and sighed with relief.  
“Leo,” she whispered.  
“Hey! Change of plan!” he said, and made to grab Gemma and April, but then looked behind the girls at a car driving next to them and groaned. “Ugh, come on!” he moaned. “GET DOWN!” Both girls ducked and when they looked up Leonardo had been hit with a electrocution coil. ‘Again?’ he thought as he tried to take it off.

He looked at Gemma and saw that she was pale, and slightly disorientated due to blood loss. He forced the coil from his body and grabbed Gemma and April, jumping out of the van. He felt the coil tighten on him and guessed that one of his brothers was pulling him back to make sure him and the girls didn’t go over the cliff ahead of them.   
He felt Gemma hide her face from the snow brushing in her face and bury it against him, making him cling to her tighter. However, he felt the rope loosen on the other end and realised that his brother had let go of the rope. And soon, he, Gemma and April were plunging over the cliff.

“No!” shouted Mikey. “Leo, April, Gemma! They were so young, so beautiful!” he said, burying his face in the snow after seeing the three go over the cliff. He saw Raph slide past him.  
“They ain’t dead, numb nuts!” he shouted. Raphael ran over to the edge, seeing that Leo had used his katana and dug it against the cliff to hold them and stop them from falling. Raphael saw April look up at him and gave her a small nod and smile, which she returned. Then he look at Gemma, who was unconscious in Leo’s arms.


	7. Chapter 7

“There’s the maintenance hatch! Our ticket home!” shouted Donnie, looking below the cliff.  
“A little help, please?!” shouted Leo, and Raph hoisted him up. Leo placed April down, and then looked at the other girl in his arms. Panic spread across his face as he looked at her wound, bleeding through the piece of shirt she placed over it. He brushed loose strands of hair from her face and tried to shake her slightly. She flinched and looked up at him, her eyelids droopy and she smiled at him lightly. He sighed in relief, guessing she had fainted due to falling over the cliff. Shock.

“We gotta hustle. Sacks is over New York City” Donnie said. Leo held Gemma close to him and they made their way down. Raphael grabbed April’s arm and lifted her in his arms, and they all made their way down the maintenance hatch back to New York.

\------------------------------------------

Halfway there, Donnie had stopped them and taken some plants and fresh water to apply to the wound, which calmed down the pain. Gemma sighed in relief as the pain began to shake away and she moved her arm slightly. She ripped off another piece of her shirt and put it over her shoulder tightly, glad that the bleeding was stopping. She went back into Leo’s arms and he carried on sliding down the maintenance hatch.

About 15 minutes later they arrived in New York.

\------------------------------------------

“You guys get out of here. Get to a safe distance!” said Leo.   
“No, we’ll get to Sacks and grab the mutagen as a contingency, just...you know in case things don’t go according to plan.” April said. Raph looked at her, smirking.   
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He said. April smirked back at him. 

Leo looked at Gemma.  
“You sure you’ll be alright?” he asked. She shook her shoulders around, showing him that she was fine. He nodded. “If all else fails, get the mutagen to Splinter. It could save his life.” Both the girls nodded.  
“I’ve disabled all security systems so you’ll have no problem getting inside. Oh, and, good luck!” said Donnie.  
“If I don’t return, remember me April,” said Mikey, “you can always find me in here.” He pointed to April’s chest. Gemma concealed a laugh as Raph grabbed Mikey’s shoulders and dragged him away. 

April looked at Raph and placed her hand on his shoulder, and he put his hand over hers, copying the reassuring movement she had given him earlier that day when they were with Splinter. Then he walked off with the rest of his brothers, Leo giving Gemma one last look before they went. Gemma then let out the laugh that she had been holding in.  
“Guess you’ve got two turtles pining for you!” April looked at her in confusion as they made their way through the building to Eric Sacks.

\------------------------------------------

The moment they entered the lab they were being shot at, to which Gemma grunted. She didn’t exactly fancy being shot again.  
Eric Sacks kept shooting the gun whenever any of them raised their head.  
“This is history, repeating itself. Your father walked in on me April. Just like you. Took a few less bullets to take him down though.”   
“You killed my father?” April whispered, staring into the distance. She felt as if her whole world had crumbled. The man she admired and was inspired by was the man who killed her father. 

Gemma tapped her and indicated that they surround him so that they could get to the mutagen. Gemma snuck around the lab and approached him from the side as April launched out from their hiding place. Whilst Sacks was distracted by April, Gemma hit him over the head with a piece of equipment near her. He fell to the ground, and they both found he had filled two canisters with mutagen. Both the girls took one canister each and headed up for the roof, where the turtles were currently fighting the shredder.

\------------------------------------------

“Shredder!” April yelled. He turned his head to see both the girls who had attacked him in the sewers.  
“All that’s left of the mutagen lies in these canisters!” yelled Gemma.  
“Little girls! They belong to me!” he yelled, heading towards them. They saw the turtles were currently holding the spiral of the building that was beginning to lose balance. ‘That must be where the toxin is. The one that Eric Sacks was trying to use to poison the city’ Gemma thought. Suddenly, the spiral began to fall and, whilst both girls were distracted by it, the shredder ran to both of them, knocking them off the building.

\------------------------------------------

Leonardo saw the girls come up on the roof with the mutagen in their hands. ‘No,’ he thought to himself. They can’t be here. They needed to get the mutagen and run, get to Splinter. He groaned at his grip on the spiral loosened. He saw the shredder heading towards them and his grip loosened even more. He couldn’t let them get hurt.  
Suddenly, Raphael saw April and lost his grip on the spiral, causing it to fall. Whilst both girls were distracted, the turtles saw the shredder push the girls over. Leo and Raph felt themselves lunge forward to protect the girls. Leo wouldn’t allow himself to fail again.

\------------------------------------------

Gemma landed on top of the spiral that fell from the building, injuring her knees. April landed near her, holding herself on a bar of the spiral. Gemma crawled to her and tried to lift her up with the arm that hadn’t been shot at. Suddenly she saw the shredder take a sword from his armour and throw it at Gemma. The knife skimmed her stomach and she ended up losing her balance and April and Gemma began to fall from the spiral.


	8. Chapter 8

“Gemma!” shouted a voice.  
“April!” another voice shouted. Gemma felt her good arm being gripped slightly and she stopped falling, looking up and seeing Leo had a hold on her, with Donnie grabbing him with one hand and grabbing the spiral with another. She looked to her side and saw that April was in the same position, with Raph holding on to her and Mikey balancing them both from the spiral. April looked over to the shredder, who was still balancing himself.  
“Swing me towards him!” April shouted. Raph nodded and Mikey began to swing them both, and as April neared the shredder she kicked her legs out, grabbing one of the canisters from the shredder’s hand before he fell to the ground.

Leo and Raph picked the girls up and rested them on the spiral. Suddenly, the spiral began to fall, losing its balance. Leo stood behind Gemma and wrapped his arms around her as she began to scream. April wrapped her arms around Raph’s stomach, and he held the back of her head in comfort.  
“I think this is it, guys!” shouted Donnie.  
“Does anyone have anything they wanna say.” Leo asked, feeling the spiral slowly fall, churning everyone’s stomachs. “Donnie?” he asked.  
“I’m the one who licks the icing off the pop tarts every morning and puts them back in the box!” he shouted, closing his eyes. April would have laughed if they weren’t in their current situation.  
“I so did not understand the ending off Lost!” shouted Mikey. Gemma nodded her head, agreeing with him. They were nearing the ground.  
“Raph?” asked Leo. Raph looked at him and looked at the girl wrapped around him, clinging to her tighter before addressing his brothers.

“I just...uh...if this is our last moment together, I just want you guys to know I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was so hard on you. Every time I pushed you, I threatened you, I yelled at you, I pushed you beyond your limits; it’s because I believe in you. I believe in each one of you. I believe in your spirit and your intelligence and your potential. And every time I talked about walking away it was because I was scared! I just didn’t think I was good enough to stand next to you and call you brother and say to you...I love you! I love you guys so much!” he shouted, closing his eyes and resting his head on Aprils. “Bye, April.” He whispered. She looked up and him and held his shoulder, and he, once again, put his hand over her own.  
“Bye, Raph.” 

Suddenly, everyone felt a sharp jolt.  
“Raph?” Donnie said. “We made it!” they all found that the spiral had fallen perfectly horizontal, without causing too much harm to anyone.  
“Are you crying?” Mikey asked Raph.   
“No, ding dong. It’s just a little dusty out here.”

\------------------------------------------

April and Gemma had been there when Splinter woke up. Because April had managed to save one of the canisters before the shredder fell from the spiral, they were able to use it to heal Splinter. They smiled at the turtles’ reactions to him waking up.   
Splinter had beckoned the girls forward, showing both of them his gratitude. He had hugged them both and told them they were welcome back any time. He had even offered to help them both train, in case another situation came up like the one they were in. 

\------------------------------------------

Gemma had been to the hospital and gotten her shoulder healed and stitched up. She tried to keep it from her father, but the hospital was having none of it. She told them and her father that her car had been stolen and she was shot whilst trying to stop the car thief. Luckily, no-one asked any further questions.  
However she couldn’t do a lot of writing with her shoulder and arm in a bandage, so she managed to have some time off her apprenticeship for a few weeks, which she was thankful for as it gave April time to get her job back. Luckily, she got one last chance, and for once didn’t mind being back in the TV station.   
Gemma was able to be her apprentice again.

\------------------------------------------

Gemma had received a text from April to meet her at an underpass about a mile away. Gemma told her dad that she was going to meet up with her friend and headed out, catching a bus that stopped near the underpass. She saw April and smiled, hugging her. She was so pleased she decided to become the apprentice of April O’Neil.  
“So, why did you summon me to the creepy underpass of hell?” she asked. April looked at her, confused.   
“You asked me,” she said, showing Gemma her phone. It was the same text she had received; only April’s phone said it was from her. They looked at each other confused and began to look around, trying to find anyone who would want them there.


	9. Chapter 9

Suddenly, they heard a van pull up with a horn that beeped in a little tune and turned around to see the turtles in a green van. Mikey popped out of the side.  
“DJ Mikey in the house!” he shouted, waving at the girls. They both smiled and ran up to the van.  
“What are you guys doing here?” asked April, smiling widely.  
“We figured we owed you a thanks for, well, everything. For keeping our secret, helping us defeat shredder, and for helping us bring Splinter back.” Leo said. April walked to the side of the van, seeing Raph sat behind Mikey.  
“You had a lot to gain for telling people about us, but you had our backs.” He said.  
“Yeah, ‘cause that’s what family’s for, Raph.” April replied. Raph smiled and ducked his head. She then asked him if she could speak to him privately, to which he came out of the van (much to Mikey’s disappointment that April didn’t want to speak with him). 

“You know, I really thought we were gonna die that day.” She said. He looked down at her and began to fidget, not quite sure where this conversation was going. “And I told myself, as we were falling, that if I was going to die, I was glad to die among friends.” Raph scratched the back of his neck, smiling down at her. Though she could tell he didn’t want to talk about what would have happened if things have gone the worst way that day.

“And, I found that I would not have wanted to be in any other place on that spiral...than with you, holding onto you. And you were holding onto me. I felt safe, and I felt that it was where I was meant to be.” She stepped closer and looked him in the eye. He gulped and lowered his hand.  
“I felt the same.” He said quietly. She brought her arm up to his shoulder, but he caught it before she could place it on him and held her hand. They just stood there, watching each other in silent conversation, holding each other. Then she reached up and hugged him. He lowered himself and lifted her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stood there comfortably, wrapped around each other. 

She turned her head and kissed him on the cheek, to which he was startled and looked at her before leaning in. She felt her eyelids flutter shut and leaned in. Their lips found each other and she brought her hand onto his shoulders as he held his arms around her waist, keeping her at his height. One of his hands moved to the back of her head as the kiss deepened passionately. This was how people were meant to kiss. It was a kiss full of desire, trust and longing. And it was full of passion and love.   
Eventually they pulled apart and she looked at him. He looked right back at her. They both smiled at one another as he lowered her, and realised they were content this way. They decided they would head back to the van shortly.

\------------------------------------------

Gemma had seen the whole thing between the two and smiled. She knew Raph had a crush. His brothers had not seen them as Mikey and Donnie were too busy arguing about certain buttons in the van and Leo was just sat there, staring into the distance. ‘Guess it’s my turn,’ she thought.   
“Leo, could I speak with you? Alone?” she asked. He looked concerned and stepped out of the van, and they both headed to a corner of the underpass, away from the others. 

“Gemma?” he asked, wondering why she had asked to speak with him. She looked at him, not knowing quite what to say. He stepped closer to her. “It’s not your shoulder, is it?” he asked, worried. She shook her head and unconsciously brought her hand up to her shoulder at the mention of it. Leo’s hands came up and he moved part of her jacket out of the way, looking at the bandaged wound.

“That man shot you so heartlessly. Without mercy.” He said, not taking his eyes off her shoulder. She grabbed his hand from her jacket and beckoned him to look at her. His expression was dark, like it had been when she got shot. She rested her hand on his cheek. “I thought you were dead. When I was trapped in that estate, inside the glass box, I thought you had died. I believed you, April, Raphael and Splinter dead. And I felt like...like such a failure.”

“I’m fine, Leo. I’m a big girl, besides you floored that guy who shot me.” She said. His expression lightened up slightly. “And you’re not a failure. You are a hero.” She said, smiling. He recoiled slightly at the use of the word.  
“I’m no hero.” He said.   
“Of course you are! You are brave, kind, fearless, you are a skilled martial artist and you are such an amazing pers...Uh, turtle.” He looked Gemma deep in the eyes as she said all of this, his eyes sparkling with everything she said. “You are everything this team needs. You are a great leader, a caring brother, a wonderful friend. You are everything!” she said. He smiled at her and lowered himself down to her height in order to hug her.   
She looked at him and felt tears escape her eyes. “Without you, I don’t know what would happen. I was so scared when we were falling on that spiral, when I fell from the spiral. But you were there to catch me.” She placed her other hand on his cheek. “You didn’t do such a good job, though.” She told him. He looked at her in confusion. “I fell.” She said. “I fell so hard.” He realised what she meant and looked away, unsure of what to say. 

Leo then looked at Gemma and placed his hands, slowly, around her.  
“I’ll always be around to catch you.” He said, and then he leant forward and captured her lips in a kiss.  
She closed her eyes and circled her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. She poured into the kiss everything she felt for him. Her admiration, her trust and her love for him. He felt all of it. They were kissing for a few minutes before the beep of the van horn stirred them and they parted, smiling at each other before heading back to the van.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter, just summing everything up.  
> Last chapter! Hope you enjoyed XD

“Where were you guys?” asked Mikey as April and Raph came from one side of the underpass and Leo and Gemma came from the other side. He saw the turtles look at the girls by their side and smile knowingly. He sighed.  
“Come on! We better get going.” He said, heading back into the van. Leo looked at Gemma.   
“Want a ride home?” he asked. She nodded and followed him to the van, April getting in the van after her. She looked at her and winked, to which April almost burst out laughing. She saw April subtly grab Raph’s hand and stroke her thumb along his own. Gemma caught Raph’s eye and raised an eyebrow, to which he grew heated and looked away, avoiding eye contact with her. Gemma snorted and looked away, checking out everything in the van, or as Mikey called it, the ‘shellraiser.’ She placed her own hand within Leo’s, and he looked at her with bright eyes. She had a feeling things were going to be good from here onwards.

\------------------------------------------

The girls visited almost every night, either for training or just to be in the company of the turtles. They wouldn’t tell anybody about their relationships. But they knew they would, yet in the time being they chose to keep it a secret. To enjoy being in the company of the turtles they loved so much and who loved them in return.


End file.
